Continuous drying tumbler



July 7, 1925.

E. J. CARROLL CONTINUOUS DRYING TUMBLER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 7, 1921 July 7, 1925. I Y 1,545,395

E. J. CARROLL Y CONTINUOUS'DRYING TUMBLER Filed Oct. '7, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2v "nung nnnxxxxuxnnuxx ...nun nuuxxxununnxx July 7, 1925. I

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Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- EMIL J. CARROLL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONTINUOUS DRYING TUMBLER.

Application led October 7, 1921.

and useful Improvements in Continuous Drying Tumblers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drying tumblers for use in drying clothing, textile fabrics, or

other similar materials which. have beenv Washed or subjected to dry cleaning operations and from which it is desired to remove moisture or cleaning fluids.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved drier of this kind which is continuous in operation and in which 'the materials to be dried can be handled in separate lots, as for example in the laundering of family washings Where lot treatment is desirable to avoid marking separate articles..y

Another object of the invention is to provide a drier inwhich separate batches or lots of materials to be dried are enclosed in distinct containers which travel in turn through the drier and in which the clothes or materials are dried during the passage of the container through the drier.

A further' object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for traversing the containers through the drier and a special arrangementA for applying the air current direct-ly to any container or containers which may be in or passing through the drier regardless of their number or. position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drier of this character properly arranged for the most eicient handling of the containers.

In the drawings, which represent one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken out to expose interior parts; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is an end elevation on a larger scale fromthe left in Fig. l, the driving motor being omitted; Fig. 4 is a broken out longitudinal section of one of the containers; Fig. 5 is a cross section thereof on the kline 5--5, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal section showing a modification Figf'? is a cross section on the line 7-7, Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a modified form of container and feeding shaft.

Serial N'o. 506,116.

The drying apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a relatively long hollow frame or casing 1 of any suitable form, its length depending upon the speed with which the containers are to be moved therethrough and the time required for drying the material to be treated. Said casing may, for example, be twenty to thirty feetlong. In one of its side walls it is provided at intervals with a series of hinged windows 2 enabling the interior to be inspected and also providing access to the inner chamber 2a for cleaning or repairs. In the bottom of the casing and extending from end to end thereof are a series of pipe coils 3 communicat-` ing with a supply of steam or other heating medium for heating the'air which is tobe circulated through the containers for the material to be dried. Preferably said steam coils or pipes are in a long chamber 4 formed by imperforate walls 4a spa'ced above the vfloor so as to form a heating channel extending from end of the casing and open at one end thereof to the atmosphere, as at 5. Above the upper wall 4a are metal sheets 6 forming another longitudinally extending channel 6** communicating through an opening 6b with the far end of channel 4. The upper wall of channel 6a is perforated to allow the heated air togflow into chamber 2a.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form in which the central portion of the upper wall 4a is omitted, the bottom wall 4EL being provided at each section o-f the machine, that is to say one for each fan or blower, with a main slide 4b on which are adjustable shutter slides 4c. In this form the chambers 4 and 6a of the form rst described are merged -into one chamber closed at both ends and opentothe air through the shutters 4c in slides 4*?. By opening one or more of the shutters4c the flow of air upwardly at each section of the mchaine can be adjusted to as line a degree as desired and eiiciency 'thereby increased. The main slides 4b can ing said shafts at uniform speed in the same l direction. For this purpose the two shafts are provided with sprockets 9 of the same diameter and connected by a chain 10, and one of said shafts is connected by gears 11 to suitable driving means, such as the electric motor 12, which is preferably -a variable speed reversible motor, so that the shafts can be rotated in either direction and at any suitable speed.

Some distance above the shafts 8 the chamber 2* within the casing is provided with a ceiling consisting of a series of vanes or dampers 13 each of which is provided with a normally depending arm 14, said arms preferably lying at the center or midway between the sides of the casing. This ceiling forms the bottom wall ofwa series of suction chambers 15 each of which chambers communicatesA by a pipe 16 with a suitable suction fan or blower 17 havin an outlet 18. If desired, the several out ets may be connected to a common conduit 19, which may lead to any suitable dischargepoint or if desired may return all or a portion of the air to the bottom channel 4 for re-circulation in accordance with well known principles. In this latter case the pipe 19 will be provided with a proper damper or damplers 19 for controlling the air low.

The returning air current may be passed through a suitable drier or dehydrator, indicated conventionally at X. This drier will contain some drying material, such asconcentrated sulphuric acid or calcium chloride in suitable vessels, said material absorbing the moisture in the air so that it is returned tothe heating chamber in drying condition with maximum dryi qualities.

The several fans 1'( may belrllgiliven `in any suitable manner and are shown as driven by belts 20 passing over/pulleys 21 on a shaft 22 which is driven at one end by a belt 22 from the pulley of a motor 23, which may also be a variable speed motor.

At one side of the casing, and preferably on the side opposite to the windows 2, is a suitable frame Work 24 supporting a pair of angle irons 25 forming a track or run-,way inclinin downwardly from the discharge end at t e left in Fig. 1, to the feeding end of the machine. At the discharge end is located a suitable table 26 which is at the end of the run-way 25 and at one side of the shafts 8 and at about the same level. At the feeding end of the machine is located another table 27 which is at-about the same level as both the run-way 25 and the shafts 8. This table is at the ends of the shafts 8 and is transversely opposite a series ofrollers 28 carried in a frame work at the end of the run-way 25 so that a container can be readily rolled off from the run-way upon the table 27 .p The top of the table 27 may be rotatable about avertical axis if desired.

in Figs. 4 and 5. The container is of hol-- low drum form, being provided with cupshaped end caps or heads 3 0 one of which is provided with a hinged door 31 having a suitable latch 32, said end headsbeing connected by longitudinally extending ribs and re-enforcing members 33,'shown as formed of angle irons, while the cylindrical wall of the container is formed of wire mesh' screen 34.

The container to be filled is placed upon the loading table 27 at the feeding end of the machine with its door o en as shownin Fig. 1 After loading it with materialthe door is closed and latched and the container is turned around until its axis is parallel with the length of the machine, inwhich position it is placed upon the rotating shafts 8. The rotation of these shafts -produces rolling rotation of the container about its own axls. also lproduces a rogressive travel of the contalner along t e shafts at a relatively low rate of speed. The container is either permitted to travel by its own motion or it is pushed through a suitable door 40 at the entrance to chamber 2f after which it travels slowly along the shafts until it passes the outlet door 41 and reaches the discharge position at the left in Fig. 1. As the container travels along it engages in turn the several dependin arms 14 connected to the dampers 13 so t at at all times the drum holds open a series of dampers directly above it. As a result, whether one or several The inclination of said shafts of these containers are in the machine, only through the perforated plate 6 and through the containers. The material in the containers is tumbled or turned over and the heated air passing therethrough absorbs the molsture and carries it away. When the container passes the outlet door 41 it -is rolled off laterally u on the table 26 and is unloaded, after w ich it is placed upon the return track 25 and rolls back by gravlty to be filled and a ain sent through the drier.

Fi 8 ows another modificationI in whic the shafts 8 are provided with suitable threads 8P which enga a suitable part of the rolling container an produce positive forward feed thereof. In the form shown the eripheral wall of one of the end heads 30 o the container is provided with a groove or channel 30 for this purpose. When such an arrangement is used the shafts 8 of course to dr must rotate in the same direction and not reverse, if the container is to be fed in one direction only.

With this a paratus different batches of material may e loaded into different containers and sent through without special marking, except as it may be necessary to mark they several containers. The speed of drying depends upon the rate of travel of the containers through the machine, which can be readily regulated by varying the speed of the motor 12. Variation in the speed of motor 23 will also vary the rate of a1r flow and to'that extent will also ai'ect the drying conditions.

What I claim is: y

1. Drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, means for moving materials to be dried 'into and out of said chamber, and means for su plying and automatically controlling the fidw of drying Huid to and from said chamber. A

2. Drying apparatus comprisinga drying chamber, means for moving materials through said chamber, and means controlled by the passage of the materials through said,chamber for subjecting said materials ing faction. y

v rying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, means for moving'materials through said chamber, and means for forcin 'a drying fluid throligh approximately on y the area occupied by the materials at a given point of travel-'through said chamber.

4. Drying apparatus comprisin a drying chamber, a heating chember, a an chamber, means formoving materials through said drying chamber, and means controlled by the travel of thematerials through said drying chamber for placing said several chambers in. communication'. 4

5. Drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, means for moving containers into and `out of said chamber, and means for automatically supplying a dr ing medium to said chamber according to the number of containers in said chamber.

6. Drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, a heating chamber, a series of fan' chambers, means for moving materials -through said drying chamber, and means for automatically and successively eifecting communication between said several fan adapted to be actuated for movin chambers and said other chambers during the travel of the materials through said drying chamber. f

Drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, a heating chamber in communication therewith, a fan chamber, means for moving a container into and out of said drying chamber, and valve means controlled byl movement of the container in said drying chamber for controllng communication between said fan chamber and said other chambers. l A

8. Drying apparatus comprising a heating chamber, a dr ing'chamber in communica-y tion therewit and locatedl thereabove, means located above said drying chamber for forcing a drying medium from said heating chamber through said drying chamber, meansY within the drying chamber a container through said drying cham er, and means located to one slde of said drying chamber for returnin the container tothe entrance end of said rying chamber.

9. Drying apparatus comprising a heating chamber, a dr ing chamber in communication therewit and located thereabove, means located above said drying chamber forforcingv a drying medium from said heating chamber through said drying chamlber, means for moving a container through said drying chamber,means located to one side of said dryin chamber for returning the container to t e entrance end of said dryin chamber, and a return air connection rom said last named means to the heating chamber, said parts being so constructed and arranged that the container lreturning means is substantially surrounded by the circuit of air.

10. Drying apparatus, com rising a drying chamber, a heating cham er, means for circulating heated air from the heating l chamber through the drying chamber, a dehydrator, means for conducting the air issuing from the drying chamber through the dehydrator to the heating chamber, and an adjustable connection to the atmosphere arranged in said last named conducting means. In testimony whereof I hereby aiiix my signature.

EMIL J. CARROLL. 

